Latch



` Aug. 26, 1930.

v s. FlEsToNE Er AL L ATGH vFiled Nov. l2, 1928 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Aug.26, 1930. v. s. FlREsToNE ET AL 1,774,260

LATCH v Filed Novylz, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 N ,7m Z1 NN-MQm/bw l QN NN Wf l vzce 376.520726,

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Patented Aug.` `26, 1930 s c l 1,774,2ee

UNIT-Ensures lPaiferrr romer.

VANCE S. .FIRESTONE AND-DELBERT SWARD, OF F'REEPORT, ILLNOIS, ASSIGNORSTO ARCADE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OE FREEPORT, ILLNOlS, A CORPORATION 0FILLINOIS yApplication fue@ November 12, 192s.

Our inventionrelates more particularly to latches for refrigeratordoors.

One of our objects is topprovide a con.-

struction of latch which will operate auto- 5 matically, without the useof springs which are objectionable,y to lock the door by :the mere actof closing'the door and by which the more forcibly, the doorfis swungtoward closed position, the tighter the door will close. Another objectyis toprovide a .construction operating as above stated and Vwhich shallcomprise a single handlemember for the unlatching andopening of thedoor.

Another object is`to'- provide a rlatch coastruction comprising leveragemeans operative to effect the initial movement of theJ door towards openposition to the end that such movementof the doormay be effected withthe exertion of relatively slight force even though the door ybe invtightly closed condition. y Another obj ect is to providea constructionof latch device of the type which automatically latches the door uponing the door to closed position which will bemore positive in vices ashitherto constructed; and other ohjects as will be manifest from the'following description.

VfR-eferring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a broken faceview of the front of a refrigerator structure containing an openingequipped with a door hinged thereto and-provided with latch means forthe door in acc-ordance with our invention, the door being shown intightly closed condition.

Figure 2 is an edge View of the structure of Fig. 1 showing the door inpartially open condition.

Figure 3 is a side view of the keeper form ing one of the parts of thelatch mechanism, this View showing the side of the latch opposite thatshown in Fig. 2.

Figure `the irregular line lf-4 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the directionofthe arrows; and Figure 5, a similar view showing the positionsoccupied by the parts of the latch the act of swing.

its operation than de- 4; is a plan Sectional View taken at4 to theright, in Figsl LATCH seriai No. 318,765.

mechanism Jfollowing the initial opening of the door. y l v l h Y lReferring to the drawings, 6 represents a refr1gerator structurecontaining an opening" 7 inits wall, and ,8 a door forming a clo- 'surefor said opening and hinged to the structuren as represented at 9kr and1n accord ance with common pract1ce.

VThe particular'.illustrated embodiment of i ourinvention'comprises'akeeper 10 for` attachment tothe outer face of the structure G adjacentthe side of the opening7 opposite lthat at which the door is hinged,Vthis kecpl rwhich it is; attached to the structure 6, as by. screws 12,and j er comprising aplate 11 at Y a forwardly projecting'portion 13having a depending extension 14 presenting at its forf ward extremity arearwardly and downwardly curved surface 15 and, to the rear of said dlyand rearwardly in- 'i surface, an upwar clined cam-forming, or wedge,surface `16.

The latch mechanism Y also comprisesa` latch-lever 17 pivotallyconnected between its endsv at 18 to aplate 19 attached to .the

face' of the doorS adjacent the keeper 10,l

VThe lever 17 presents the hany v deiiected outwardly to extend inspacedv relation to the door S asshown in Fig. 4 and'by which the im?Vlatching of the door and V y i latter iseii'ected. The pivoting of theleverv 17 is on substantially horizontal axis in a Vplane .su'hstane byscrews 20. dle portion 21 which .is

whereby this lever swings tially parallel with theface of the'door 8 andthe end thereof opposite the handle portion 21 and represented at L2 isprovidedfor latching with the keeper 13. c o Y The latch mechanismgalsocomprises a dog,

representedfat 23, andpivoted on a'snhstair tially vertical pin24cmounted'in vertically spaced lugs 25' and 26 on the plate 19, the dog 23rextending'@into the spacev betweenV these lugs and thus adapted to rockin a substantially horizontalv plane; I

rl`he dog 23 is of general bell crank form as shown providing theangular..y disposed arms 27. and 28 provided for engagement,

Vwith the top of the lever 17 respectively,

and 4l, of the pivotthe opening oli 'the of this lever and with anabutment 29 formed rigidly on the keeper 10.

The arrangement of the parts shown and described is such, as shown, thatassuming the door to be open, in which .position of the door theunbalanced lever 17 assumes substantially horizontal position, itsleft-hand end abutting the underside of a depending stop-lug on the dog28, the swinging of lthe door toward closed position causes the endportion 22 of lever 17 to ride against the cam-surface 15 of the keeperthereby causing the lever 17 Ato be rotated in counterclockwisedirectionin Fig. 1, to a position in wh'ch it clears the lower extremityof.' the keeper pertion-14. As the door nears closing` ,osition the arm27 of dog`23 engages the abutment- 29 thereby rotating the dog incounte'rclockwise direction in Fig. at and by the engagement of its armportion 28 with the upper surface of the` portion 21 of lever 17,forcibly rotates this lever in clockwise direction in Fig. 1 whichcauses the lever-portion 22 to travel up the inclined surface 16 of thekeeper and iirmly force the door inwardly to closed position shown inFig. 4, it being understood from the foregoing that the greater theforce applied by the operator in closing the door the more tightly theparts of the latch meclianism intereng( ge for forcing the door toclosed, latched, condition.

To open the door the operator grasps the handle portion 21 of lever17'and rotates this lever in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 1 fordownwardly swinging the portion 22 of this lever out of interlockingengagement with the keeper. During the movement of the lever as stated,thelatter engages the arm 28 `of dog 23thereby rotating the latter inclockwise direction in Figs. 4; and 5 and engaging the arm 27 of thisdog with the stopabutment 29 whereby continued rotation of the lever 17as stated results in the initial opening', or cracking, of the door asshown in Fig. 5, in which position the lever 17 is entirely clear-fofthe keepery and the operator by merely pulling outwardly on the leverswings the door from the initial open posiytion to the final openposition desired.

v lVliile we'have illustrated and described a particular constructionembodying our invention, we do not wish to be understood as intending tolimit it thereto as the saine may be variously modified and alteredwithout departing' from thespirit of our invention.

`What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A latch mechanism for a door adapted -to close an opening lin acasing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casa leverpivoted-on said door for interlocking with said keeper, and a dog ofgeneral bell crank form pivotedl on said door and so n positioned that,in the closing of the door,

one arm of said dog engages a stationary 'to close an opening in aVcasing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a leverfor interlocking with said keeper and pivoted on said door to swing in aplane substantially parallel with the face of the door, and a dogpivoted on said door and so positioned that, in the closing of the door,one portion of said dog engages a stationary part ot the structure andanother part thereof presses against said lever and rocks the latterinto tight engagement with said keeper.

. 3. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in acasing, said latch mechanism comprising a vmember on said casing andhaving a rearwardly and upwardly inclined rear surface, a lever forinterlocking with said keeper at said surface and pivoted to said doorto swing in a plane substantially parallel with the face of the door,said lever normally extending substantially horizontally and said keeperbeing provided with an abutment, and a dog pivoted on said door on anaXis extending at an angle to the ain" about which said lever rocks,said dog being of general bell crank form and so positioned that. in theclosing of the door, one arm of said dog engages said abutment and itsother arm presses against said lever and rocks the latter into tightengagement with said keeper. e Y

VANCE S. FIRESTONE. DELBERT SVVARD.

